Third Eye OSINT publishes enlightened commentary on geopolitics. The articles will always reflect a pro-American personal viewpoint, because the author is a loyal citizen of the United States of America. This blog is a wholly-owned project of Alfidi Capital.

The predominant media narrative for the US intervention in Afghanistan is one of misunderstanding, miscalculation, and missed opportunities. The US's enduring presence in Afghanistan must begin to tell a new narrative in 2014. The story should lead with something other than interjections into tribal conflict.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Food security matters. Maslow's hierarchy of needs puts the human requirement for food right on the bottom as a fundamental prerequisite for pursuing everything else. Spiraling prices for food staples were one major reason the Arab Spring spread so quickly among disaffected populations that had dissimilar ethnographies.

Intrepid entrepreneurs are trying to monetize food security. The International Food Security Fund is an effort to create private sector demand for food security solutions. I'm disappointed that its documentation is only viewable behind a login portal. The Global Food Exchange has publicly available information on its relief vault product. I understand the demand for commodities as relief goods but I don't understand the purpose of creating an exchange to support the pricing of prepackaged modules. The modules themselves are good ways to organize relief shipments but relief agencies may balk at relying upon a single source for relief supplies. The cost of physical storage and an illiquid exchange add a markup to the price relief agencies must pay.

Big Data and drones may do more for food security than any high-minded relief effort if they allow small farmers to optimize production. Food security and water security are inseparable. The market for food and water is as large as the world's population. Third Eye OSINT will have more to say about the potential for instability from food and water scarcity.

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Yet Another Disclaimer

Third Eye OSINT is written and maintained exclusively by Anthony J. Alfidi. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not represent the official or unofficial position of any government entity. The information presented here is drawn solely from unclassified, open sources available to the general public. In other words, I wrote this stuff.